Forests Adrift: Currents Shaping the Future of Northeastern Trees

by Charles D. Canham

Overview

A captivating analysis of the past, present, and future of northeastern forests and the forces that have shaped them
 
“Charlie Canham takes us on an inspiring walk through the past, present, and future of northeastern forests, with the wisdom of a lifelong forest scientist and the wonder of a naturalist. Incredibly readable and insightful.”—Indy Burke, Carl W. Knobloch. Jr., Dean, Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies
 
Named a “Best Book of 2020” in the history category by Bloomberg BusinessWeek
 
The northeastern United States is one of the most densely forested regions in the country, yet its history of growth, destruction, and renewal are for the most part poorly understood—even by specialists. In this engaging look at both the impermanence and the resilience of the northeastern forest ecosystems, Charles D. Canham provides a synthesis of modern ecological research and explores critical threats that include logging, fire suppression, disease, air pollution, invasive species, and climate change.
 
Providing a historical perspective on how northeastern forests have changed since the arrival of European settlers, Canham also utilizes new theoretical models to predict how these ecosystems will change and adapt to an uncertain future. This is an informed and accessible investigation of an endangered natural landscape that examines the ramifications of the scientific controversies and ethical dilemmas shaping the future of northeastern forests.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780300238297
Publisher:	Yale University Press
Publication date:	02/18/2020
Pages:	240
Sales rank:	651,205
Product dimensions:	5.80(w) x 8.30(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Charles D. Canham is senior scientist at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, New York.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix

Introduction 1

1 Where Is the Crew, and Just What Ship Are We On, Anyway? 7

2 Charting a Course: Predicting Forest Futures 17

3 Home Port: The Ebb and Flow of Presettlement Forests 39

4 Legacies of Agricultural Clearing and Early Logging 53

5 Seared into Memory: Legacies of Fire and Fire Suppression 64

6 The Fall and Rise of the White-Tailed Deer 75

7 A Sea Change in Logging 91

8 Change Is in the Air 110

9 New and Unwelcome Passengers 120

10 A Far More Threatening Invasion 131

11 Storm Clouds Looming 150

12 What Lies Ahead? 169

Appendix: Common and Scientific Names of Northeastern Tree Species 175

Notes 179

Index 207

Editorial Reviews

Ecologist Charles Canham brings his keen eye to what causes changes in our forests. . . . While climate change and invasive species make it easy to be a doomsayer, Canham believes in the resilience of our Northeastern forests and the science that is helping us understand how to cope with these threats.” —Betsey Kepes, Adirondack Explorer

“Charlie Canham takes us on an inspiring walk through the past, present, and future of northeastern forests, with the wisdom of a lifelong forest scientist and the wonder of a naturalist.  Incredibly readable and insightful."—Indy Burke, Carl W. Knobloch. Jr., Dean, Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies

“Forests may drift, but Charles Canham, in drawing from decades of field studies and an unrivaled melding of natural history and modeling, steers an enlightening course from prehistory towards an uncertain future.”—David Foster, coeditor, Forests in Time: The Environmental Consequences of 1,000 Years of Change in New England, and author, A Meeting of Land and Sea: Nature and the Future of Martha’s Vineyard

“Charles Canham’s writing is refreshing. I will have Forests Adrift on my shelves and will definitely refer to it again and again.”—John Pastor, author of What Should a Clever Moose Eat?

“Forests Adrift is deeply rooted in science and exquisitely written—a joy of a book! And it is a wonderful example of the complexities of nature and the role of people: I will never look at a forest the same again.”—Thomas E. Lovejoy, University Professor of Environmental Science and Policy, George Mason University

“Charles Canham’s highly original, cutting-edge research is contextualized in the broader framework of our forests and their futures. I would highly recommend it to scientists and nonscientists.”—Robert Fahey, University of Connecticut

From the Publisher